US20200247150A1 - Ink jet card printer having a pivotable card feeder - Google Patents
Ink jet card printer having a pivotable card feeder Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20200247150A1 US20200247150A1 US16/265,253 US201916265253A US2020247150A1 US 20200247150 A1 US20200247150 A1 US 20200247150A1 US 201916265253 A US201916265253 A US 201916265253A US 2020247150 A1 US2020247150 A1 US 2020247150A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- card
- feeder
- axis
- ink jet
- pinch roller
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
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- 230000007704 transition Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 210000000006 pectoral fin Anatomy 0.000 description 18
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000012840 feeding operation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
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- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000011109 contamination Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010017 direct printing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010030 laminating Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000123 paper Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001172 regenerating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
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Definitions
- Card products include, for example, credit cards, identification cards, driver's licenses, passports, and other card products. Such card products generally include printed information, such as a photo, account numbers, identification numbers, and other personal information. Credentials can also include data that is encoded in a smartcard chip, a magnetic stripe, or a barcode, for example.
- Card production systems include processing devices that process card substrates (hereinafter “cards”) to form the final card product. Such processes may include a printing process, a laminating or transfer process, a data reading process, a data writing process, and/or other process used to form the desired credential.
- An ink jet card printer is a form of card production system that utilizes an ink jet print head to print images to cards.
- Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an ink jet card printer, a method of feeding a card in an ink jet card printer, and a card feeder.
- One embodiment of the ink jet card printer includes an ink jet print head, a gantry, and a card feeder.
- the ink jet print head is configured to perform a print operation on a card supported in a print position along a processing axis.
- the gantry is configured to move the print head through a print zone.
- the card feeder includes a feeder frame, a first pinch roller pair, and a lift mechanism.
- the first pinch roller pair is supported by the feeder frame and is configured to feed individual cards along a card feed axis.
- the lift mechanism is configured to move the feeder frame and the first pinch roller pair between a lowered position, in which the card feeder is displaced from the print zone, and a raised position, in which at least a portion of the card feeder extends into the print zone.
- a card is supported in a card feeder in a raised position, in which at least a portion of the card feeder extends into the print zone.
- the card is fed from the card feeder along a card feed axis that is substantially parallel to the processing axis to a card transport using a first pinch roller pair supported by a feeder frame of the card feeder.
- the feeder frame, the first pinch roller pair, and the card feed axis is pivoted about a pivoted axis to a lowered position, in which the card feeder is displaced from the print zone and the card feed axis is oblique to the processing axis, using a lift mechanism.
- One embodiment of the card feeder includes a feeder frame, a first pinch roller pair, and a lift mechanism.
- the first pinch roller pair is supported by the feeder frame and is configured to feed individual cards along a card feed axis.
- the lift mechanism is configured to pivot the feeder frame and the first pinch roller pair about a pivot axis between a lowered position, in which the card feed axis has a first angular position about the pivot axis, and a raised position, in which the card feed axis has a second angular position about the pivot axis that is different from the first angular position.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 are simplified side and top views of an ink jet card printer, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an exemplary card transport and card feeders (lowered positions), in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 4 is a side view of an exemplary ink jet card printer with the card feeders in their lowered positions, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 5 is a side view of the printer of FIG. 4 with frame sidewalls removed, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 6 is a side view of the printer of FIG. 4 with the card feeders in their raised positions, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 7 is a side view of the printer of FIG. 6 with frame sidewalls removed, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
- FIGS. 8 and 9 are front and top isometric views of a portion of an ink jet card printer at an interface between a card feeder and a belt, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 10 is a top view of a portion of an ink jet card printer, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
- FIGS. 11-16 are simplified top views of a card transport and card feeders during various stages of a printing operation, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
- Embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed to a card feeder of an ink jet card printer that is configured to facilitate the feeding individual cards to a print position for printing by an ink jet print head that is moved through a print zone using a gantry during printing operations.
- the card feeder has a raised position, in which at least a portion of the card feeder extends into the print zone. As a result, the card feeder would obstruct printing operations if left in the raised position. This issue is avoided by moving the card feeder to a lowered position during printing operations, in which the card feeder is displaced from the print zone, using a lift mechanism.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 are simplified side and top views of an ink jet card printer 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
- the printer 100 includes a print unit 102 , and a card transport 104 .
- the card transport 104 is configured to feed individual cards 106 along a processing axis 108 .
- the print unit 102 includes an ink jet print head 110 and a gantry 112 .
- the print head 110 is configured to perform a printing operation on individual cards 106 supported by the card transport 104 in a print position 114 along the processing axis 108 .
- the gantry 112 is configured to move the print head 110 through a print zone 116 during printing operations.
- the printer 100 includes a controller 118 , which represents one or more distinct controllers of the printer 100 , each of which includes at least one processor that is configured to execute program instructions stored in a computer-readable media or memory of the printer 100 , which may also be represented by the controller 118 , or another location.
- Any suitable patent subject matter eligible computer readable media or memory may be utilized including, for example, hard disks, CD-ROMS, optical storage devices, flash memory, magnetic storage devices, or other suitable computer readable media or memory that do not include transitory waves or signals.
- the execution of the instructions by the controller 118 controls components of the printer 100 to perform functions and method steps described herein.
- the card printer 100 may include one or more card feeders 120 , such as card feeders 120 A and 120 B, that are each configured to deliver cards 106 to, and receive cards 106 from, the card transport 104 .
- the printer 100 may also include one or more conventional card flippers 122 , such as flippers 122 A and 122 B, that are configured to invert the cards 106 .
- a conventional card supply 124 such as a card cartridge containing a stack of cards, may be provided to supply cards 106 for processing by the printer 100 , and processed cards may be discharged and collected by a suitable card collector (e.g., a hopper) 126 .
- the ink jet print head 110 may be any suitable conventional ink jet print head that is configured to perform a direct printing operation to individual cards 106 supported in the print positions 114 along the processing axis 108 .
- the gantry 112 includes a conventional gantry for moving the print head 110 along a fast scan axis 130 that is substantially parallel to the processing axis 108 , and a slow scan axis 132 that is substantially perpendicular to the processing axis 108 , as shown in FIG. 2 , during printing operations.
- fast scan axis refers to the axis along which the print head 110 is moved by the gantry 112 during an active printing phase of the operation, during which ink is discharged from the print head 110 to form the image on the card 106 .
- slow scan axis refers to the axis along which the print head 110 is moved by the gantry 112 during an inactive printing phase (ink is not discharged from the print head) to position the print head 110 for the next active printing phase.
- the gantry 112 and the print head 110 may occupy the print zone 116 during printing operations, which is indicated by dashed boxes in FIGS. 1 and 2 .
- the print zone 116 generally extends from the processing axis 108 , or immediately above the processing axis 108 , into the space above the card transport 104 and the card feeders 120 .
- the print zone 116 may also surround the card transport 104 and the card feeders 120 , as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the card feeders 120 each include a lift mechanism 134 to move the card feeders 120 to a lowered position 136 , in which the card feeders 120 are displaced from the print zone 116 , such as below the print zone 116 , as indicated by card feeder 120 A in FIG. 1 , and the card feeders 120 A and 120 B in FIGS. 3-5 .
- FIG. 3 is an isometric view of exemplary card transport 104 and card feeders 120 in their lowered positions 136
- FIG. 4 is a side view of an exemplary printer 100 with the card feeders 120 in their lowered positions 136
- FIG. 5 is a side view of the printer 100 of FIG. 4 with frame side walls removed, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
- the lift mechanisms 134 may also move the card feeders 120 to a raised position 138 , in which at least a portion of the card feeders 120 extend into the print zone 116 , and the card feeders 120 are positioned to feed cards 106 to, or receive cards 106 from, the card transport 104 , as indicated by the card feeder 120 B in FIG. 1 and the card feeders 120 A and 120 B in FIGS. 6 and 7 .
- FIG. 6 is a side view of the exemplary printer 100 of FIG. 4 with the card feeders 120 in their raised positions
- FIG. 7 is a side view of the printer 100 of FIG. 6 with frame side walls removed, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
- the card feeders 120 may be moved to their raised positions 138 by the lift mechanisms 134 to facilitate feeding cards 106 to, or receiving cards 106 from the card transport 104 .
- the lift mechanisms 134 may be used to move the card feeders 120 from their raised positions 138 , in which at least a portion of the card feeders 120 would obstruct a printing operation, to their lowered positions 136 , in which the card feeders 120 do not obstruct the print zone 116 , to enable the print head 110 to be moved through the print zone 116 by the gantry 112 and perform a printing operation.
- the card transport 104 includes belts 140 , such as first and second belts 140 A and 140 B (i.e., belt feeders or conveyors), that are each supported by rollers 142 for movement along a belt path.
- the first and second belts 140 A and 140 B are each supported by four rollers 142 , which are supported by a belt frame 144 , such as side walls 146 A and 146 B of the belt frame 144 ( FIG. 3 ).
- the belts 140 include exposed portions 150 adjacent the processing axis 108 . The exposed portion 150 of each of the belts 140 is used to feed the cards 106 along the processing axis 108 and support the cards 106 in the print positions 114 .
- Motors 154 A and 154 B are respectively configured to independently drive the first and second belts 140 A and 140 B along their belt paths.
- the exposed portion 150 of the first belt 140 A may independently feed a card 106 along the processing axis 108 in a direction toward the second belt 140 B or in a direction toward the card feeder 120 A using the motor 154 A
- the exposed portion 150 of the second belt 140 B may independently feed a card 106 along the processing axis 108 in the direction toward the first belt 140 A, or in the direction toward the card feeder 120 B using the motor 154 B.
- the belts 140 of the card transport 104 may take on any suitable form.
- the belts 140 are conventional vacuum belts that are coupled to a vacuum source 158 (i.e., a source of negative pressure), such as a regenerative vacuum blower.
- the vacuum source 158 may be shared by the belts 140 , as shown in FIG. 1 , or separate vacuum sources 158 A and 158 B may respectively be used by the belts 140 A and 140 B, as shown in FIG. 5 .
- Chambers 160 couple the negative pressure generated by the vacuum source 158 to the exposed portions 150 of the belts 140 .
- the negative pressure is communicated to a top side of the exposed portions 150 through apertures 162 in the belts, which are shown in FIGS.
- each of the belts 140 may feed a card 106 along the processing axis 108 to the corresponding print position 114 , in which the exposed top surfaces 166 of the cards 106 are at the border of the print zone 116 , as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 .
- the print head 110 may perform a print operation on the top surfaces 166 of the cards 106 supported in the print positions 114 .
- the print head 110 may print an image to the exposed surface 166 of the card 106 supported in the print position 114 on the belt 140 A, print an image to the surface 166 of the card 106 supported in the print position 114 on the belt 140 B, and/or simultaneously print images to the surfaces 166 of both cards 106 supported in the print positions 114 on the belts 140 A and 140 B during a single printing operation.
- the gantry 112 may move the print head 110 along the fast scan axis 130 (processing axis 108 ) over the cards 106 , while the print head 110 prints image lines to the surfaces 166 , as indicted by arrow 170 .
- the gantry 112 shifts the print head 110 along the slow scan axis 132 , as indicated by arrow 172 .
- the gantry 112 then moves the print head 110 back along the fast scan axis 130 (arrow 174 ), during which the print head 110 prints image lines to the surfaces 166 of the cards 106 .
- the gantry 112 again shifts the position of the print head 110 along the slow scan axis 132 (arrow 176 ), and the print head 110 prints image lines as the gantry 112 moves the print head 110 along the fast scan axis 130 (arrow 178 ).
- the print head 110 may be configured to print an image that is slightly larger than the surface 166 of the card 106 . As a result, some ink will overspray the edges of the card 106 .
- the exposed surface 150 of each belt 140 has a smaller surface area than the card 106 . That is, the width and length of the exposed belt surfaces 150 are selected such that they are less than the corresponding width and length of the cards 106 , as generally shown in FIG. 2 with the cards 106 shown in phantom lines.
- the entirety of the exposed belt surface 150 is covered by the card 106 , and a perimeter portion 180 of the card 160 extends beyond the edges of the exposed belt surface 150 . This allows the print head 110 to print images that extend to the edges of the surfaces 166 of cards 106 while protecting the exposed belt surface 150 from ink contamination.
- the printer 100 includes an ink overspray collector 182 that surrounds a perimeter of the exposed belt surface 150 and extends beyond the edges of the cards 106 when in their print positions 114 , as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the collector 182 is positioned to receive ink that is sprayed over the lengthwise and widthwise edges of the cards 106 during a printing operation.
- the ink overspray collector 182 is a disposable component that may be periodically removed and replaced by an operator of the printer 100 .
- the collector 182 may be formed of plastic, paper, cardboard, or another suitable material.
- the collector 182 is a single piece of material having an opening 184 A for the exposed belt surface 150 of the belt 140 A, and an opening 184 B for the exposed belt surface 150 of the belt 140 B.
- the card feeders 120 are each configured to deliver cards 106 to, and receive cards 106 from the card transport 104 when in their raised positions 138 ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ).
- the card feeders 120 may also receive cards 106 for processing from the card supply 124 , such as using card feeder 120 A, and discharge processed cards 106 to the collector 126 , such as using the card feeder 120 B, as indicated in FIG. 1 .
- the card feeders 120 each include at least one pinch roller pair 190 , such as pinch roller pairs 190 A and 190 B, as shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 7 .
- at least a portion of one or both of the pinch roller pairs 200 extends into the print zone 116 when the card feeder 120 is in the raised position 138 , as shown in FIG. 7 .
- the pinch roller pairs 190 A and 190 B are respectively positioned adjacent ports 192 and 194 of the card feeder 120 , with the port 192 being positioned adjacent an input/output end 196 of the corresponding belt 140 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- Each pinch roller pair 190 may include an idler roller 197 and a motorized feed roller 198 ( FIGS.
- a card feeder frame 200 such as between side walls 201 A and 201 B of the frame 200 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- the idler roller 197 is illustrated as being the top roller in the provided examples, it is understood that the positions of the rollers 197 and 198 may be reversed.
- a cover 202 may be positioned between the pinch roller pairs 190 A and 190 B to cover a portion of the path through which cards 106 are fed through the card feeder 120 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- the card feeders 120 A and 120 B respectively include motors 204 A and 204 B ( FIG. 1 ) for driving the motorized rollers 198 to feed a card 106 supported between one or both of the pinch roller pairs 190 A and 190 B along a card feed axis 208 .
- the separate motors 204 of the feeders 120 allow the controller 118 to independently control the card feeders 120 .
- the card feeder 120 A may be used to deliver a card 106 to the belt 140 A while the card feeder 120 B delivers a card 106 to the collector 126 , for example.
- the card feed axis 208 of each feeder 120 is substantially parallel to a vertical plane extending through the processing axis 108 .
- the card feed axes 208 of the feeders 120 are oriented substantially parallel (e.g., ⁇ 5 degrees) to the processing axis 108 within a horizontal plane.
- the lift mechanisms 134 pivot the frame 200 of the card feeders 120 about a pivot axis 210 ( FIG. 3 ) during movement of the card feeders 120 between their raised and lowered positions 138 and 136 .
- the orientation of the card feed axis 208 relative to the processing axis 108 in a vertical plane changes with movement of the card feeders 120 between their raised and lowered positions 138 and 136 .
- the card feed axis 208 is at an oblique angle (e.g., 20-50 degrees) to the processing axis 108 in the vertical plane, as shown in FIG. 5 .
- the card feed axis 208 is substantially parallel to the processing axis 108 in the vertical plane, as shown in FIG. 7 , allowing the card feeder 120 to deliver a card 106 to the adjacent belt 140 , or receive a card 106 from the adjacent belt 140 using one or more of the pinch roller pairs 190 .
- the pivot axis 210 is defined by a pivotable connection 212 between the card feeder frame 200 and the belt frame 144 , as indicated in FIG. 3 .
- the pivotable connection or hinge 212 is formed between the side walls 201 A and 201 B of the card feeder frame 200 and the corresponding side walls 146 A and 146 B of the belt frame 144 .
- each lift mechanism 134 includes a cam 216 , a cam follower 218 and a motor 220 , as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 .
- the separate motors 220 allow the controller 118 to independently control each lift mechanism 134 .
- each cam 216 is supported by the belt frame 144 for rotation about an axis 222 ( FIG. 3 ), and each cam follower 218 is supported by the card feeder frame 200 and pivots with the card feeder frame 200 about the pivot axis 210 .
- the positions of the cam 216 and the cam follower 218 may be reversed where the cam 216 is supported by the belt frame 144 and the cam follower 218 is supported by the card feeder frame 200 .
- the cam follower 218 is biased to engage the cam 216 using a suitable biasing mechanism, such as a spring.
- the controller 118 activates the motor 220 of the lift mechanism 134 to drive rotation of the cam 216 about the axis 222 in the direction indicated by arrow 224 in FIG. 3 .
- the cam 216 rotates, it slides and presses against a cam surface 226 ( FIG. 5 ) of the cam follower 218 .
- This drives the card feeder frame 120 to pivot about the pivot axis 210 until the card feeder 120 reaches the raised position 138 shown in FIG. 7 .
- the operation is reversed to move the card feeder 120 back to its lowered position 136 .
- the controller activates the motor 220 of the lift mechanism 134 to drive rotation of the cam 216 about the axis 222 in the direction opposite arrow 224 ( FIG. 3 ).
- the cam surface 226 of the cam follower 218 slides along the cam 216 and the card feeder frame 200 pivots about the pivot axis 210 until the card feeder 120 reaches the lowered position 136 shown in FIG. 5 .
- Alternative lift mechanisms 134 may also be employed. For example, different lift mechanisms may be used to pivot the card feeders 120 between their raised and lowered positions 138 and 136 , such as a screw drive, or another suitable lift mechanism. Additionally, the lift mechanisms 134 may be configured to move the card feeders 120 linearly between the raised and lowered positions 138 and 136 .
- a lateral stabilizer 230 is used in connection with each of the card feeders 120 to ensure substantial coaxial alignment in the horizontal plane between the card feed axis 208 and the processing axis 108 of the adjacent belt 140 , as shown in FIG. 2 , when the card feeders 120 are in their raised positions 138 .
- FIGS. 8 and 9 are front and top isometric views of a portion of the printer 100 at the interface between the card feeder 120 A and the belt 140 A with the ink collector 182 removed.
- the lateral stabilizer 230 is positioned between the pinch roller pair 190 A at the port 192 and the input/output end 196 of the adjacent belt 140 A, as shown in FIG. 8 .
- the lateral stabilizer 230 includes a first stabilizing member 232 connected to the card feeder frame 200 , and a second stabilizing member 234 connected to the belt frame 144 .
- the first stabilizing member 232 moves with movement of the card feeder frame 200 about the pivot axis 210 relative to the second stabilizing member 234 .
- the first stabilizing member 232 engages with the second stabilizing member 234 in a cooperating manner when the card feeder 120 is moved from the lowered position 136 to the raised position 138 to provide the desired lateral alignment of the card feed axis 208 and the processing axis 108 .
- the first and second stabilizing members 232 and 234 are displaced from each other when the card feeder 120 is in the lowered position 136 .
- the first stabilizing member 232 is in the form of a rib member and the second stabilizing member is in the form of a groove 234 , as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 .
- the groove 234 may be formed in a bar 236 extending between the side walls 146 A and 146 B of the belt frame 144 .
- the rib member 232 is received within the groove 234 , as shown in FIG. 9 , to align the card feed axis 208 with the processing axis 108 and maintain the alignment during card feeding operations between the card feeder 120 A and the belt 140 A.
- each card feeder 120 supports a received card 106 such that a central axis of the card 106 is aligned with the card feed axis 208 . This ensures that the card 106 is fed to the adjacent belt 140 in alignment with the processing axis 108 , which allows for accurate positioning of the card 106 in the print position 114 on the belt 140 and accurate printing of an image to the card surface 166 .
- each card feeder 120 includes a card alignment mechanism 240 , an example of which is illustrated in the top view of a portion of the printer 100 provided in FIG. 10 with the cover 202 removed.
- the card alignment mechanism 240 is configured to prevent misalignment between a card 106 supported by the one or more pinch roller pairs 190 of the card feeder 120 and the card feed axis 208 .
- One embodiment of the card alignment mechanism 240 includes a reference wall 242 , a pusher wall 244 and a biasing mechanism 246 .
- the reference wall 242 is aligned parallel to the card feed axis 208 and has a fixed position relative to the card feeder frame 200 .
- the pusher wall 244 is moveable relative to the card feeder frame 200 and the reference wall 242 .
- the biasing mechanism 246 is configured to bias the pusher wall 244 toward the reference wall 242 .
- Embodiments of the biasing mechanism 246 include a spring or another conventional biasing mechanism.
- the pusher wall 244 pushes the card 106 toward the reference wall 242 due to the bias produced by the biasing mechanism 246 . This causes an edge of the card 106 to engage the reference wall 242 .
- the edge of the card 106 engaging the reference wall 242 aligns with the reference wall 242 and aligns the central axis of the card 106 with the card feed axis 208 .
- the printer 100 may include one or more sensors 250 to facilitate various card feeding operations, such as receiving a card 106 in the card feeders 120 and positioning a card 106 in the print position 114 on the belts 140 .
- the printer 100 includes a card sensor 250 for detecting the presence or absence of a card at each side of the card transport 104 , as indicated in FIG. 1 .
- the card sensors 250 are positioned between the pinch roller pair 190 A and the adjacent belt 140 .
- the card sensors 250 are supported by the card feeder frame 200 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8 .
- the card sensors may take on any suitable form, such as an optical card sensor having an emitter 252 and a receiver 254 , as shown in FIG. 8 .
- the sensor 250 may be used to detect the leading edge of the card 106 being fed toward the card transport belt 140 , which may indicate that the card 106 is fully received in the card feeder 120 .
- the card feeder 120 may then be moved from the lowered position 136 to the raised position 138 .
- the corresponding card sensor 250 may be used to detect the trailing edge of the card 106 as the card is fed to the adjacent belt 140 .
- the controller 118 may use this detection of the trailing edge of the card 106 to control the belt 140 to position the card 106 in the desired print position 114 .
- the card sensors 250 may also be used by the controller 118 to control the reception of cards 106 fed from the belts 140 by the card feeders 120 .
- the card sensor 250 may detect the leading edge of the card 106 . This detection may be used by the controller 118 to control the pinch roller pairs 190 to receive the card 106 in the card feeder 120 .
- the card 106 may then be fed into the card feeder 120 using the pinch roller pairs 190 until the sensor 250 detects the trailing edge of the card 106 indicating that the card 106 has been fully received within the card feeder 120 and that the card feeder 120 is ready to be moved to its lowered position 136 .
- the printer may optionally include one or more card flippers 122 that may be used to invert cards 106 to facilitate printing operations on both sides of the cards 106 .
- Each card flipper 122 may be configured to receive a card 106 from the adjacent card feeder 120 , the card supply (flipper 122 A) or the card collector (flipper 122 B), rotate the card 106 about a flipping axis 260 to invert the card 106 , and pass the inverted card 106 back to the adjacent card feeder 120 , which can deliver the inverted card 106 to the card transport 104 and the print unit 102 for a printing operation.
- the card flippers 122 may each be conventional card flippers.
- One suitable card flipper 122 which may be used by the printer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,878,505, which issued to HID Global Corporation and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
- each flipper 122 includes a pinch roller pair 262 that is configured to hold the card 106 during rotation about the flipping axis 260 .
- One or more motors 264 ( FIGS. 1 and 5 ) are used to drive rotation of a gear 266 , that supports the pinch roller pair 262 and a card 106 supported by the pinch roller pair, about the flipping axis 260 .
- the card feed axis 268 of each flipper 122 is configured to rotate into alignment with the card feed axis 208 of the adjacent card feeder 120 when it is in the lowered position 136 .
- the motor 264 may also drive the pinch roller pair 262 to feed a card 106 supported by the pinch roller pair 262 to the pinch roller pair 190 B at the port 194 of the adjacent card feeder 120 , such as shown in FIG. 5 .
- the adjacent card feeder 120 may then move to the raised position 138 and feed the card 106 to the adjacent belt 140 , as shown in FIG. 7 .
- Some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to methods of printing an image to one or more cards 106 using the ink jet card printer 100 .
- a card 106 which may have been received from the supply 124 and fed to the card feeder 120 A by the card flipper 122 A, is supported by the pinch roller pairs 190 of the card feeder 120 A while in its lowered position 136 , as shown in FIG. 5 .
- the card feeder 120 A is moved to its raised position 138 using the corresponding lift mechanism 134 , and the card 106 is discharged from the card feeder 120 A to the belt 140 A using the pinch roller pair 190 A.
- the card feeder 120 A is then moved to the lowered position 136 ( FIGS.
- Some embodiments of the method involve performing a print operation using the ink jet card printer 100 to print images on two cards 106 simultaneously.
- FIGS. 11-16 are simplified top views of the card transport 104 and the card feeders 120 A and 120 B during various stages of the method.
- a pair of cards 106 may be fed from the supply 124 to the card transport 104 with the card feeders 120 in their lowered positions 136 .
- This may involve feeding a first card 106 from the supply 124 through the card flipper 122 to the card feeder 120 A, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 .
- the card feeder 120 A may then be moved to its raised position 138 using the lift mechanism 134 , and the first card 106 A is fed to the belt 140 A by the pinch roller pair 190 A, as shown in FIG. 11 .
- the card feeder 120 A may then return to its lowered position 136 , and a second card 106 may be fed from the supply 124 through the flipper 122 A to the card feeder 120 A in the same manner as the first card.
- the first card 106 A may be fed by the belt 140 A to the belt 140 B, during which the card 106 A is simultaneously supported by both belts 140 A and 140 B, as shown in FIG. 12 .
- the card 106 A may then be moved by the belt 140 B to the print position 114 , as shown in FIG. 13 .
- the second card 106 B is fed to the belt 140 A using the pinch roller pair 190 A of the card feeder 120 A, as indicated in FIG. 13 , and the second card 106 B is moved along the processing axis 108 by the belt 140 A to its print position 114 , as shown in FIG. 14 .
- the card feeder 120 A is then moved to its lowered position 136 .
- a printing operation is simultaneously performed on the first and second cards 106 A and 106 B using the print unit 102 , as discussed above with reference to FIG. 2 .
- This printing operation involves moving the ink jet print head 110 in the fast scan direction 130 across the cards 106 and moving the ink jet print head 110 in a slow scan direction 132 that is perpendicular to the fast scan direction 134 through the print zone 116 using the gantry 112 .
- the cards 106 are imaged by the ink jet print head (i.e., active printing phase) while the print head 110 is moved in the fast scan direction 130 by the gantry 112 .
- the card feeders 120 A and 120 B are returned to their raised positions 138 by the lift mechanisms 134 , and the cards 106 A and 106 B are delivered to the adjacent card feeders 120 A and 120 B using the belts 140 A and 140 B, as indicated in FIG. 14 .
- the card feeders 120 A and 120 B are moved to their lowered positions 136 by the lift mechanisms 134 , and the cards 106 A and 106 B are fed to the corresponding flippers 122 A and 122 B, such as generally shown in FIG. 5 .
- the flippers 122 A and 122 B invert the cards 106 A and 106 B and feed the inverted cards back to the card feeders 120 A and 120 B, which are then returned to their raised positions 138 .
- the cards 106 A and 106 B are then fed back to the adjacent belts 140 A and 140 B by the card feeders 120 A and 120 B, as indicated in FIG. 15 .
- the belts 140 A and 140 B then move the cards 106 B and 106 A to the print positions 114 ( FIG. 13 ) and the card feeders 120 A and 120 B are again moved to their lowered positions 136 .
- the print head 110 then prints images to the non-imaged surfaces 166 of the cards 106 A and 106 B as discussed above with reference to FIG. 2 .
- the cards may be discharged to the collector 126 using the card feeder 120 B.
- the card feeder 120 B is first moved to the raised position 138 , and the belt 140 B feeds the card 106 A to the card feeder 120 B.
- the card feeder 120 B is then moved to its lowered position 136 , and the card 106 A is fed to the collector 126 through the flipper 122 B ( FIG. 5 ).
- the card 106 B is fed from the belt 140 A to the belt 140 B and the card feeder 120 B is returned to the raised position 138 .
- the card feeder 120 B then receives the card 106 B from the belt 140 B, and is moved to its lowered position 136 by the corresponding lift mechanism 134 .
- the card 106 B can then be discharged from the card feeder 120 B to the collector 126 through the flipper 122 B.
- the term “approximately,” “about” or “substantially” generally refers to ⁇ 5% of the referenced value and denotes equality with a tolerance of at most 5%, unless stated otherwise.
- the terms “substantially parallel” or “substantially perpendicular” refer to a tolerance of ⁇ 5 degrees, unless otherwise specified.
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Abstract
Description
- Card products include, for example, credit cards, identification cards, driver's licenses, passports, and other card products. Such card products generally include printed information, such as a photo, account numbers, identification numbers, and other personal information. Credentials can also include data that is encoded in a smartcard chip, a magnetic stripe, or a barcode, for example.
- Card production systems include processing devices that process card substrates (hereinafter “cards”) to form the final card product. Such processes may include a printing process, a laminating or transfer process, a data reading process, a data writing process, and/or other process used to form the desired credential. An ink jet card printer is a form of card production system that utilizes an ink jet print head to print images to cards.
- Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an ink jet card printer, a method of feeding a card in an ink jet card printer, and a card feeder. One embodiment of the ink jet card printer includes an ink jet print head, a gantry, and a card feeder. The ink jet print head is configured to perform a print operation on a card supported in a print position along a processing axis. The gantry is configured to move the print head through a print zone. The card feeder includes a feeder frame, a first pinch roller pair, and a lift mechanism. The first pinch roller pair is supported by the feeder frame and is configured to feed individual cards along a card feed axis. The lift mechanism is configured to move the feeder frame and the first pinch roller pair between a lowered position, in which the card feeder is displaced from the print zone, and a raised position, in which at least a portion of the card feeder extends into the print zone.
- In one embodiment of a method of feeding a card in an ink jet printer, which includes an ink jet print head supported for movement within a print zone during printing of an image to a card supported along a processing axis, a card is supported in a card feeder in a raised position, in which at least a portion of the card feeder extends into the print zone. The card is fed from the card feeder along a card feed axis that is substantially parallel to the processing axis to a card transport using a first pinch roller pair supported by a feeder frame of the card feeder. The feeder frame, the first pinch roller pair, and the card feed axis is pivoted about a pivoted axis to a lowered position, in which the card feeder is displaced from the print zone and the card feed axis is oblique to the processing axis, using a lift mechanism.
- One embodiment of the card feeder includes a feeder frame, a first pinch roller pair, and a lift mechanism. The first pinch roller pair is supported by the feeder frame and is configured to feed individual cards along a card feed axis. The lift mechanism is configured to pivot the feeder frame and the first pinch roller pair about a pivot axis between a lowered position, in which the card feed axis has a first angular position about the pivot axis, and a raised position, in which the card feed axis has a second angular position about the pivot axis that is different from the first angular position.
- This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in the Background.
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FIGS. 1 and 2 are simplified side and top views of an ink jet card printer, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an exemplary card transport and card feeders (lowered positions), in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 4 is a side view of an exemplary ink jet card printer with the card feeders in their lowered positions, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 5 is a side view of the printer ofFIG. 4 with frame sidewalls removed, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 6 is a side view of the printer ofFIG. 4 with the card feeders in their raised positions, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 7 is a side view of the printer ofFIG. 6 with frame sidewalls removed, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. -
FIGS. 8 and 9 are front and top isometric views of a portion of an ink jet card printer at an interface between a card feeder and a belt, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 10 is a top view of a portion of an ink jet card printer, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. -
FIGS. 11-16 are simplified top views of a card transport and card feeders during various stages of a printing operation, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. - Embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed to a card feeder of an ink jet card printer that is configured to facilitate the feeding individual cards to a print position for printing by an ink jet print head that is moved through a print zone using a gantry during printing operations. The card feeder has a raised position, in which at least a portion of the card feeder extends into the print zone. As a result, the card feeder would obstruct printing operations if left in the raised position. This issue is avoided by moving the card feeder to a lowered position during printing operations, in which the card feeder is displaced from the print zone, using a lift mechanism.
- These and other embodiments of the present disclosure are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. Elements that are identified using the same or similar reference characters refer to the same or similar elements. The various embodiments of the present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.
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FIGS. 1 and 2 are simplified side and top views of an inkjet card printer 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, theprinter 100 includes aprint unit 102, and acard transport 104. Thecard transport 104 is configured to feedindividual cards 106 along aprocessing axis 108. Theprint unit 102 includes an inkjet print head 110 and agantry 112. Theprint head 110 is configured to perform a printing operation onindividual cards 106 supported by thecard transport 104 in aprint position 114 along theprocessing axis 108. Thegantry 112 is configured to move theprint head 110 through aprint zone 116 during printing operations. - In some embodiments, the
printer 100 includes acontroller 118, which represents one or more distinct controllers of theprinter 100, each of which includes at least one processor that is configured to execute program instructions stored in a computer-readable media or memory of theprinter 100, which may also be represented by thecontroller 118, or another location. Any suitable patent subject matter eligible computer readable media or memory may be utilized including, for example, hard disks, CD-ROMS, optical storage devices, flash memory, magnetic storage devices, or other suitable computer readable media or memory that do not include transitory waves or signals. The execution of the instructions by thecontroller 118 controls components of theprinter 100 to perform functions and method steps described herein. - As discussed in greater detail below, the
card printer 100 may include one or more card feeders 120, such ascard feeders cards 106 to, and receivecards 106 from, thecard transport 104. Theprinter 100 may also include one or more conventional card flippers 122, such asflippers cards 106. Aconventional card supply 124, such as a card cartridge containing a stack of cards, may be provided to supplycards 106 for processing by theprinter 100, and processed cards may be discharged and collected by a suitable card collector (e.g., a hopper) 126. - The ink
jet print head 110 may be any suitable conventional ink jet print head that is configured to perform a direct printing operation toindividual cards 106 supported in theprint positions 114 along theprocessing axis 108. Thegantry 112 includes a conventional gantry for moving theprint head 110 along afast scan axis 130 that is substantially parallel to theprocessing axis 108, and aslow scan axis 132 that is substantially perpendicular to theprocessing axis 108, as shown inFIG. 2 , during printing operations. As used herein, the term “fast scan axis” refers to the axis along which theprint head 110 is moved by thegantry 112 during an active printing phase of the operation, during which ink is discharged from theprint head 110 to form the image on thecard 106. The term “slow scan axis” refers to the axis along which theprint head 110 is moved by thegantry 112 during an inactive printing phase (ink is not discharged from the print head) to position theprint head 110 for the next active printing phase. - In some embodiments, the
gantry 112 and theprint head 110 may occupy theprint zone 116 during printing operations, which is indicated by dashed boxes inFIGS. 1 and 2 . Theprint zone 116 generally extends from theprocessing axis 108, or immediately above theprocessing axis 108, into the space above thecard transport 104 and the card feeders 120. Theprint zone 116 may also surround thecard transport 104 and the card feeders 120, as shown inFIG. 2 . - In some embodiments, the card feeders 120 each include a
lift mechanism 134 to move the card feeders 120 to a loweredposition 136, in which the card feeders 120 are displaced from theprint zone 116, such as below theprint zone 116, as indicated bycard feeder 120A inFIG. 1 , and thecard feeders FIGS. 3-5 .FIG. 3 is an isometric view ofexemplary card transport 104 and card feeders 120 in their loweredpositions 136,FIG. 4 is a side view of anexemplary printer 100 with the card feeders 120 in their loweredpositions 136, andFIG. 5 is a side view of theprinter 100 ofFIG. 4 with frame side walls removed, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. - The
lift mechanisms 134 may also move the card feeders 120 to a raisedposition 138, in which at least a portion of the card feeders 120 extend into theprint zone 116, and the card feeders 120 are positioned to feedcards 106 to, or receivecards 106 from, thecard transport 104, as indicated by thecard feeder 120B inFIG. 1 and thecard feeders FIGS. 6 and 7 .FIG. 6 is a side view of theexemplary printer 100 ofFIG. 4 with the card feeders 120 in their raised positions, andFIG. 7 is a side view of theprinter 100 ofFIG. 6 with frame side walls removed, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, the card feeders 120 may be moved to their raisedpositions 138 by thelift mechanisms 134 to facilitatefeeding cards 106 to, or receivingcards 106 from thecard transport 104. - Thus, the
lift mechanisms 134 may be used to move the card feeders 120 from their raisedpositions 138, in which at least a portion of the card feeders 120 would obstruct a printing operation, to their loweredpositions 136, in which the card feeders 120 do not obstruct theprint zone 116, to enable theprint head 110 to be moved through theprint zone 116 by thegantry 112 and perform a printing operation. - In some embodiments, the
card transport 104 includes belts 140, such as first andsecond belts rollers 142 for movement along a belt path. In one example, the first andsecond belts rollers 142, which are supported by abelt frame 144, such asside walls FIG. 3 ). The belts 140 include exposedportions 150 adjacent theprocessing axis 108. The exposedportion 150 of each of the belts 140 is used to feed thecards 106 along theprocessing axis 108 and support thecards 106 in the print positions 114. -
Motors second belts portion 150 of thefirst belt 140A may independently feed acard 106 along theprocessing axis 108 in a direction toward thesecond belt 140B or in a direction toward thecard feeder 120A using themotor 154A, and the exposedportion 150 of thesecond belt 140B may independently feed acard 106 along theprocessing axis 108 in the direction toward thefirst belt 140A, or in the direction toward thecard feeder 120B using themotor 154B. - The belts 140 of the
card transport 104 may take on any suitable form. In some embodiments, the belts 140 are conventional vacuum belts that are coupled to a vacuum source 158 (i.e., a source of negative pressure), such as a regenerative vacuum blower. Thevacuum source 158 may be shared by the belts 140, as shown inFIG. 1 , orseparate vacuum sources belts FIG. 5 .Chambers 160 couple the negative pressure generated by thevacuum source 158 to the exposedportions 150 of the belts 140. The negative pressure is communicated to a top side of the exposedportions 150 throughapertures 162 in the belts, which are shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 , and is used to securecards 106 to the exposedportions 150 during card feeding and printing operations. Thus, when acard 106 engages the top surface of the exposedportion 150 of one of the belts 140, the negative pressure generated by thevacuum source 158 orsources card 106 to the belt 140. When the belts 140 are driven by the corresponding motor 154, the adheredcard 106 is driven along theprocessing axis 108. - During a printing operation, with the card feeders 120 in their lowered
positions 136, each of the belts 140 may feed acard 106 along theprocessing axis 108 to thecorresponding print position 114, in which the exposedtop surfaces 166 of thecards 106 are at the border of theprint zone 116, as shown inFIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 . Theprint head 110 may perform a print operation on thetop surfaces 166 of thecards 106 supported in the print positions 114. Thus, theprint head 110 may print an image to the exposedsurface 166 of thecard 106 supported in theprint position 114 on thebelt 140A, print an image to thesurface 166 of thecard 106 supported in theprint position 114 on thebelt 140B, and/or simultaneously print images to thesurfaces 166 of bothcards 106 supported in the print positions 114 on thebelts - For example, referring to
FIG. 2 , with the card feeders 120 in their loweredpositions 136, and thecards 106 held in the print positions 114 against the exposedportions 150 of thebelts vacuum source 158 orsources FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 ), thegantry 112 may move theprint head 110 along the fast scan axis 130 (processing axis 108) over thecards 106, while theprint head 110 prints image lines to thesurfaces 166, as indicted byarrow 170. After theprint head 110 is moved past the end of thecard 106 adjacent thecard feeder 120B, thegantry 112 shifts theprint head 110 along theslow scan axis 132, as indicated by arrow 172. Thegantry 112 then moves theprint head 110 back along the fast scan axis 130 (arrow 174), during which theprint head 110 prints image lines to thesurfaces 166 of thecards 106. Thegantry 112 again shifts the position of theprint head 110 along the slow scan axis 132 (arrow 176), and theprint head 110 prints image lines as thegantry 112 moves theprint head 110 along the fast scan axis 130 (arrow 178). These steps of printing image lines while moving theprint head 110 along thefast scan axis 130 and shifting the position of theprint head 110 along theslow scan axis 132, are repeated until the images have been printed to thesurfaces 166 of thecards 106. Accordingly, a single print operation may simultaneously print images to twocards 106 supported on the belts 140. - To print a full edge-to-edge image on a
card 106, theprint head 110 may be configured to print an image that is slightly larger than thesurface 166 of thecard 106. As a result, some ink will overspray the edges of thecard 106. - In some embodiments, the exposed
surface 150 of each belt 140 has a smaller surface area than thecard 106. That is, the width and length of the exposedbelt surfaces 150 are selected such that they are less than the corresponding width and length of thecards 106, as generally shown inFIG. 2 with thecards 106 shown in phantom lines. Thus, when acard 106 is in theprint position 114, the entirety of the exposedbelt surface 150 is covered by thecard 106, and aperimeter portion 180 of thecard 160 extends beyond the edges of the exposedbelt surface 150. This allows theprint head 110 to print images that extend to the edges of thesurfaces 166 ofcards 106 while protecting the exposedbelt surface 150 from ink contamination. - In some embodiments, the
printer 100 includes anink overspray collector 182 that surrounds a perimeter of the exposedbelt surface 150 and extends beyond the edges of thecards 106 when in theirprint positions 114, as shown inFIG. 2 . Thus, thecollector 182 is positioned to receive ink that is sprayed over the lengthwise and widthwise edges of thecards 106 during a printing operation. In some embodiments, theink overspray collector 182 is a disposable component that may be periodically removed and replaced by an operator of theprinter 100. Thecollector 182 may be formed of plastic, paper, cardboard, or another suitable material. In some embodiments, thecollector 182 is a single piece of material having anopening 184A for the exposedbelt surface 150 of thebelt 140A, and anopening 184B for the exposedbelt surface 150 of thebelt 140B. - As mentioned above, the card feeders 120 are each configured to deliver
cards 106 to, and receivecards 106 from thecard transport 104 when in their raised positions 138 (FIGS. 6 and 7 ). The card feeders 120 may also receivecards 106 for processing from thecard supply 124, such as usingcard feeder 120A, and discharge processedcards 106 to thecollector 126, such as using thecard feeder 120B, as indicated inFIG. 1 . - In some embodiments, the card feeders 120 each include at least one pinch roller pair 190, such as pinch roller pairs 190A and 190B, as shown in
FIGS. 1, 5 and 7 . In some embodiments, at least a portion of one or both of the pinch roller pairs 200 extends into theprint zone 116 when the card feeder 120 is in the raisedposition 138, as shown inFIG. 7 . The pinch roller pairs 190A and 190B are respectively positionedadjacent ports port 192 being positioned adjacent an input/output end 196 of the corresponding belt 140, as shown inFIG. 3 . Each pinch roller pair 190 may include anidler roller 197 and a motorized feed roller 198 (FIGS. 5 and 7 ) that are supported by acard feeder frame 200, such as betweenside walls frame 200, as shown inFIG. 3 . While theidler roller 197 is illustrated as being the top roller in the provided examples, it is understood that the positions of therollers cover 202 may be positioned between the pinch roller pairs 190A and 190B to cover a portion of the path through whichcards 106 are fed through the card feeder 120, as shown inFIG. 3 . - The
card feeders motors FIG. 1 ) for driving themotorized rollers 198 to feed acard 106 supported between one or both of the pinch roller pairs 190A and 190B along acard feed axis 208. Theseparate motors 204 of the feeders 120 allow thecontroller 118 to independently control the card feeders 120. As a result, thecard feeder 120A may be used to deliver acard 106 to thebelt 140A while thecard feeder 120B delivers acard 106 to thecollector 126, for example. - The
card feed axis 208 of each feeder 120 is substantially parallel to a vertical plane extending through theprocessing axis 108. Thus, as shown in the top view ofFIG. 2 , the card feed axes 208 of the feeders 120 are oriented substantially parallel (e.g., ±5 degrees) to theprocessing axis 108 within a horizontal plane. - In some embodiments, the
lift mechanisms 134 pivot theframe 200 of the card feeders 120 about a pivot axis 210 (FIG. 3 ) during movement of the card feeders 120 between their raised and loweredpositions card feed axis 208 relative to theprocessing axis 108 in a vertical plane changes with movement of the card feeders 120 between their raised and loweredpositions position 136, thecard feed axis 208 is at an oblique angle (e.g., 20-50 degrees) to theprocessing axis 108 in the vertical plane, as shown inFIG. 5 . When the card feeder 120 is in its raised position, thecard feed axis 208 is substantially parallel to theprocessing axis 108 in the vertical plane, as shown inFIG. 7 , allowing the card feeder 120 to deliver acard 106 to the adjacent belt 140, or receive acard 106 from the adjacent belt 140 using one or more of the pinch roller pairs 190. - In some embodiments, the
pivot axis 210 is defined by apivotable connection 212 between thecard feeder frame 200 and thebelt frame 144, as indicated inFIG. 3 . In one embodiment, the pivotable connection or hinge 212 is formed between theside walls card feeder frame 200 and thecorresponding side walls belt frame 144. - In one exemplary embodiment, each
lift mechanism 134 includes acam 216, acam follower 218 and amotor 220, as shown inFIGS. 5 and 7 . Theseparate motors 220 allow thecontroller 118 to independently control eachlift mechanism 134. In one example, eachcam 216 is supported by thebelt frame 144 for rotation about an axis 222 (FIG. 3 ), and eachcam follower 218 is supported by thecard feeder frame 200 and pivots with thecard feeder frame 200 about thepivot axis 210. Alternatively, the positions of thecam 216 and thecam follower 218 may be reversed where thecam 216 is supported by thebelt frame 144 and thecam follower 218 is supported by thecard feeder frame 200. In some embodiments, thecam follower 218 is biased to engage thecam 216 using a suitable biasing mechanism, such as a spring. - During an exemplary lift operation, in which the card feeder 120 is moved from the lowered position 136 (
FIG. 5 ) to the raised position 138 (FIG. 7 ), thecontroller 118 activates themotor 220 of thelift mechanism 134 to drive rotation of thecam 216 about theaxis 222 in the direction indicated byarrow 224 inFIG. 3 . As thecam 216 rotates, it slides and presses against a cam surface 226 (FIG. 5 ) of thecam follower 218. This drives the card feeder frame 120 to pivot about thepivot axis 210 until the card feeder 120 reaches the raisedposition 138 shown inFIG. 7 . The operation is reversed to move the card feeder 120 back to its loweredposition 136. That is, the controller activates themotor 220 of thelift mechanism 134 to drive rotation of thecam 216 about theaxis 222 in the direction opposite arrow 224 (FIG. 3 ). During this rotation of thecam 216, thecam surface 226 of thecam follower 218 slides along thecam 216 and thecard feeder frame 200 pivots about thepivot axis 210 until the card feeder 120 reaches the loweredposition 136 shown inFIG. 5 . -
Alternative lift mechanisms 134 may also be employed. For example, different lift mechanisms may be used to pivot the card feeders 120 between their raised and loweredpositions lift mechanisms 134 may be configured to move the card feeders 120 linearly between the raised and loweredpositions - In some embodiments, a
lateral stabilizer 230 is used in connection with each of the card feeders 120 to ensure substantial coaxial alignment in the horizontal plane between thecard feed axis 208 and theprocessing axis 108 of the adjacent belt 140, as shown inFIG. 2 , when the card feeders 120 are in their raisedpositions 138. One example of a suitablelateral stabilizer 230 is shown inFIGS. 8 and 9 , which are front and top isometric views of a portion of theprinter 100 at the interface between thecard feeder 120A and thebelt 140A with theink collector 182 removed. In some embodiments, thelateral stabilizer 230 is positioned between thepinch roller pair 190A at theport 192 and the input/output end 196 of theadjacent belt 140A, as shown inFIG. 8 . - In one embodiment, the
lateral stabilizer 230 includes a first stabilizingmember 232 connected to thecard feeder frame 200, and a second stabilizingmember 234 connected to thebelt frame 144. Thus, the first stabilizingmember 232 moves with movement of thecard feeder frame 200 about thepivot axis 210 relative to the second stabilizingmember 234. The first stabilizingmember 232 engages with the second stabilizingmember 234 in a cooperating manner when the card feeder 120 is moved from the loweredposition 136 to the raisedposition 138 to provide the desired lateral alignment of thecard feed axis 208 and theprocessing axis 108. In some embodiments, the first and second stabilizingmembers position 136. - In one exemplary embodiment, the first stabilizing
member 232 is in the form of a rib member and the second stabilizing member is in the form of agroove 234, as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9 . Alternatively, the positions of the rib member and groove may be reversed. Thegroove 234 may be formed in abar 236 extending between theside walls belt frame 144. As the card feeder 120 is moved from the loweredposition 136 to the raisedposition 138, therib member 232 is received within thegroove 234, as shown inFIG. 9 , to align thecard feed axis 208 with theprocessing axis 108 and maintain the alignment during card feeding operations between thecard feeder 120A and thebelt 140A. - Ideally, each card feeder 120 supports a received
card 106 such that a central axis of thecard 106 is aligned with thecard feed axis 208. This ensures that thecard 106 is fed to the adjacent belt 140 in alignment with theprocessing axis 108, which allows for accurate positioning of thecard 106 in theprint position 114 on the belt 140 and accurate printing of an image to thecard surface 166. - In some embodiments, each card feeder 120 includes a
card alignment mechanism 240, an example of which is illustrated in the top view of a portion of theprinter 100 provided inFIG. 10 with thecover 202 removed. Thecard alignment mechanism 240 is configured to prevent misalignment between acard 106 supported by the one or more pinch roller pairs 190 of the card feeder 120 and thecard feed axis 208. One embodiment of thecard alignment mechanism 240 includes areference wall 242, apusher wall 244 and abiasing mechanism 246. Thereference wall 242 is aligned parallel to thecard feed axis 208 and has a fixed position relative to thecard feeder frame 200. Thepusher wall 244 is moveable relative to thecard feeder frame 200 and thereference wall 242. Thebiasing mechanism 246 is configured to bias thepusher wall 244 toward thereference wall 242. Embodiments of thebiasing mechanism 246 include a spring or another conventional biasing mechanism. - As a
card 106 is received by the card feeder 120 with the central axis of thecard 106 being offset from thecard feed axis 208 or non-parallel to thecard feed axis 208, thepusher wall 244 pushes thecard 106 toward thereference wall 242 due to the bias produced by thebiasing mechanism 246. This causes an edge of thecard 106 to engage thereference wall 242. As thecard 106 continues to be fed into the card feeder 120 by the pinch roller pairs 190, the edge of thecard 106 engaging thereference wall 242 aligns with thereference wall 242 and aligns the central axis of thecard 106 with thecard feed axis 208. - The
printer 100 may include one ormore sensors 250 to facilitate various card feeding operations, such as receiving acard 106 in the card feeders 120 and positioning acard 106 in theprint position 114 on the belts 140. In one embodiment, theprinter 100 includes acard sensor 250 for detecting the presence or absence of a card at each side of thecard transport 104, as indicated inFIG. 1 . In some embodiments, thecard sensors 250 are positioned between thepinch roller pair 190A and the adjacent belt 140. In some embodiments, thecard sensors 250 are supported by thecard feeder frame 200, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 8 . The card sensors may take on any suitable form, such as an optical card sensor having anemitter 252 and areceiver 254, as shown inFIG. 8 . - During reception of a
card 106 by a card feeder 120 in its loweredposition 136, thesensor 250 may be used to detect the leading edge of thecard 106 being fed toward the card transport belt 140, which may indicate that thecard 106 is fully received in the card feeder 120. The card feeder 120 may then be moved from the loweredposition 136 to the raisedposition 138. After the card feeder 120 is moved to the raisedposition 138, the correspondingcard sensor 250 may be used to detect the trailing edge of thecard 106 as the card is fed to the adjacent belt 140. Thecontroller 118 may use this detection of the trailing edge of thecard 106 to control the belt 140 to position thecard 106 in the desiredprint position 114. - The
card sensors 250 may also be used by thecontroller 118 to control the reception ofcards 106 fed from the belts 140 by the card feeders 120. For example, as acard 106 is fed from the belt 140 toward the card feeder 120, thecard sensor 250 may detect the leading edge of thecard 106. This detection may be used by thecontroller 118 to control the pinch roller pairs 190 to receive thecard 106 in the card feeder 120. Thecard 106 may then be fed into the card feeder 120 using the pinch roller pairs 190 until thesensor 250 detects the trailing edge of thecard 106 indicating that thecard 106 has been fully received within the card feeder 120 and that the card feeder 120 is ready to be moved to its loweredposition 136. - As mentioned above, the printer may optionally include one or more card flippers 122 that may be used to invert
cards 106 to facilitate printing operations on both sides of thecards 106. Each card flipper 122 may be configured to receive acard 106 from the adjacent card feeder 120, the card supply (flipper 122A) or the card collector (flipper 122B), rotate thecard 106 about a flippingaxis 260 to invert thecard 106, and pass theinverted card 106 back to the adjacent card feeder 120, which can deliver theinverted card 106 to thecard transport 104 and theprint unit 102 for a printing operation. The card flippers 122 may each be conventional card flippers. One suitable card flipper 122 which may be used by the printer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,878,505, which issued to HID Global Corporation and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. - In some embodiments, each flipper 122 includes a
pinch roller pair 262 that is configured to hold thecard 106 during rotation about the flippingaxis 260. One or more motors 264 (FIGS. 1 and 5 ) are used to drive rotation of agear 266, that supports thepinch roller pair 262 and acard 106 supported by the pinch roller pair, about the flippingaxis 260. In some embodiments, thecard feed axis 268 of each flipper 122 is configured to rotate into alignment with thecard feed axis 208 of the adjacent card feeder 120 when it is in the loweredposition 136. Themotor 264 may also drive thepinch roller pair 262 to feed acard 106 supported by thepinch roller pair 262 to thepinch roller pair 190B at theport 194 of the adjacent card feeder 120, such as shown inFIG. 5 . The adjacent card feeder 120 may then move to the raisedposition 138 and feed thecard 106 to the adjacent belt 140, as shown inFIG. 7 . - Some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to methods of printing an image to one or
more cards 106 using the inkjet card printer 100. In one embodiment of the method, acard 106, which may have been received from thesupply 124 and fed to thecard feeder 120A by thecard flipper 122A, is supported by the pinch roller pairs 190 of thecard feeder 120A while in its loweredposition 136, as shown inFIG. 5 . Thecard feeder 120A is moved to its raisedposition 138 using thecorresponding lift mechanism 134, and thecard 106 is discharged from thecard feeder 120A to thebelt 140A using thepinch roller pair 190A. Thecard feeder 120A is then moved to the lowered position 136 (FIGS. 4 and 5 ) and out of theprint zone 116 using thelift mechanism 134, and thecard 106 is fed along theprocessing axis 108 by thebelt 140A to the print position 114 (FIG. 2 ). An image is then printed to thesurface 166 of thecard 106 using theprint head 110, which involves moving theprint head 110 with thegantry 112 through theprint zone 116, as indicated inFIGS. 1 and 2 . - Some embodiments of the method involve performing a print operation using the ink
jet card printer 100 to print images on twocards 106 simultaneously. One example of such a method will be described with reference toFIGS. 11-16 , which are simplified top views of thecard transport 104 and thecard feeders cards 106 may be fed from thesupply 124 to thecard transport 104 with the card feeders 120 in their loweredpositions 136. This may involve feeding afirst card 106 from thesupply 124 through the card flipper 122 to thecard feeder 120A, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 5 . Thecard feeder 120A may then be moved to its raisedposition 138 using thelift mechanism 134, and thefirst card 106A is fed to thebelt 140A by thepinch roller pair 190A, as shown inFIG. 11 . Thecard feeder 120A may then return to its loweredposition 136, and asecond card 106 may be fed from thesupply 124 through theflipper 122A to thecard feeder 120A in the same manner as the first card. During the feeding of thesecond card 106A to thecard feeder 120A, thefirst card 106A may be fed by thebelt 140A to thebelt 140B, during which thecard 106A is simultaneously supported by bothbelts FIG. 12 . Thecard 106A may then be moved by thebelt 140B to theprint position 114, as shown inFIG. 13 . Thesecond card 106B is fed to thebelt 140A using thepinch roller pair 190A of thecard feeder 120A, as indicated inFIG. 13 , and thesecond card 106B is moved along theprocessing axis 108 by thebelt 140A to itsprint position 114, as shown inFIG. 14 . Thecard feeder 120A is then moved to its loweredposition 136. - With the
cards print positions 114 on thebelts card feeders FIG. 5 ), a printing operation is simultaneously performed on the first andsecond cards print unit 102, as discussed above with reference toFIG. 2 . This printing operation involves moving the inkjet print head 110 in thefast scan direction 130 across thecards 106 and moving the inkjet print head 110 in aslow scan direction 132 that is perpendicular to thefast scan direction 134 through theprint zone 116 using thegantry 112. Thecards 106 are imaged by the ink jet print head (i.e., active printing phase) while theprint head 110 is moved in thefast scan direction 130 by thegantry 112. - After the images have been printed to the
cards card feeders positions 138 by thelift mechanisms 134, and thecards adjacent card feeders belts FIG. 14 . After receiving thecards card feeders positions 136 by thelift mechanisms 134, and thecards flippers FIG. 5 . Theflippers cards card feeders positions 138. Thecards adjacent belts card feeders FIG. 15 . Thebelts cards FIG. 13 ) and thecard feeders positions 136. Theprint head 110 then prints images to thenon-imaged surfaces 166 of thecards FIG. 2 . - With images printed to both sides of the
cards collector 126 using thecard feeder 120B. Thecard feeder 120B is first moved to the raisedposition 138, and thebelt 140B feeds thecard 106A to thecard feeder 120B. Thecard feeder 120B is then moved to its loweredposition 136, and thecard 106A is fed to thecollector 126 through theflipper 122B (FIG. 5 ). Thecard 106B is fed from thebelt 140A to thebelt 140B and thecard feeder 120B is returned to the raisedposition 138. Thecard feeder 120B then receives thecard 106B from thebelt 140B, and is moved to its loweredposition 136 by thecorresponding lift mechanism 134. Thecard 106B can then be discharged from thecard feeder 120B to thecollector 126 through theflipper 122B. - Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It is appreciated that certain features of the present disclosure, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the present disclosure, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the present disclosure. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative without those elements. As used herein the term “approximately,” “about” or “substantially” generally refers to ±5% of the referenced value and denotes equality with a tolerance of at most 5%, unless stated otherwise. The terms “substantially parallel” or “substantially perpendicular” refer to a tolerance of ±5 degrees, unless otherwise specified.
Claims (20)
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CN202010079178.5A CN111516394B (en) | 2019-02-01 | 2020-02-03 | Card printer, card feeder and method of using card feeder |
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US11924978B2 (en) * | 2018-04-18 | 2024-03-05 | Ekra Automatisierungssysteme Gmbh | Printing system for printing substrates, method for operating the printing system |
WO2022164974A1 (en) * | 2021-01-27 | 2022-08-04 | Cricut, Inc. | Crafting apparatus |
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US10752457B1 (en) | 2020-08-25 |
CN111516394B (en) | 2021-08-17 |
EP3689623A1 (en) | 2020-08-05 |
EP3689623B1 (en) | 2024-07-03 |
CN111516394A (en) | 2020-08-11 |
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